


paint me crimson

by khrysallis



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate universe - Mafia, Angst, M/M, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 18:47:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3780442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khrysallis/pseuds/khrysallis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the very moment he fucks up a major drug deal, Jongin finds himself fighting a losing battle against time to keep his own life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	paint me crimson

**Author's Note:**

> warnings: d/s elements, mentions of bdsm & voyeurism, minor dubcon, exo-related character death

The continuous pounding of blood against his eardrums is loud, so loud that even the heavy rain pelting mercilessly upon his back can’t drown out the noise. He blinks every now and then, trying to get the water out of his eyes as he continues running down the deserted streets of Seoul. It’s dark at night, with the street lights out of order, and the moisture stinging his eyes isn’t doing anything to help him see better.   
  
The simple act of breathing becomes a lot more of a chore as Jongin continues to run from the people who are hot in pursuit after him. His chest is tight from the cold, and his lungs burn from the exertion, but still Jongin makes an effort to continue. He nearly slips on the wet pavement several times, the rubber on the soles of his worn-out sneakers making his life more difficult than it already is, but he always catches himself before he falls.  
  
Jongin knows that if he ever stops in his tracks, it  _will_  be the end of him. He has fucked up what was supposed to be a relatively simple task, big time, and he will be made to pay for his blunder.   
  
He must have pissed Lady Luck off, too, when she continues to desert him. He's about to dash across the street into the park to lose the people chasing after him, but the moment he steps onto the road, a travelling bus comes towards him at high speed, rendering him frozen in the middle of the street. Just as he thinks it's really the end for him, someone grabs him by the scruff of his shirt, hauling him backwards to safety just in the nick of time to feel the whipping wind coming from the speeding bus.   
  
In his daze and through the pain of landing on the asphalt on his back, Jongin, who's left writhing almost pathetically on the road, blinks up at the person who'd just saved him. The gratefulness quickly melts into fear and dread, though, when he notices the long scar down the side of the man's face.  
  
The man's grin is feral and sinister as he looks down at Jongin, and Jongin yells out loud when the man steps on his abdomen to keep him pinned against the ground. His partner joins them soon enough, and Jongin feels an awful lot like a caged animal with both their sharp gazes pinning him down.   
  
"You're not gonna die this easily, Kai," the second man tells him, lips curling into an unmistakable smirk as he grabs Jongin roughly by the jaw. Jongin maintains his defiant gaze, though. He's not going to bow down to them or give in to their taunts. He's better than this.   
  
"Get up," the first man says, hauling Jongin's body off the ground like he weighs nothing, and starts dragging him down the general direction where they had come from. "The boss has a lot of things he wants to talk to you about."  
  
  


✳

  
  
  
Jongin, having been a part of the most notorious syndicate in Seoul for years on end now, is no longer a stranger to manhandling others and roughing them up. It's a prerequisite to be a part of EXO, where callousness and the lack of mercy in an individual is highly revered.   
  
But when the tides are turned on him, finding himself getting shoved across the room and scraping his palms on the cement flooring in the process, Jongin finally understands the helplessness that his victims must all feel. Along with that, however, a strong fire of defiance is ignited, and Jongin jaw is firmly set when a pair of well-polished shoes comes into sight, from where the men still had his head pressed against the floor.   
  
"We've got him as we were told, boss." The bulkier man speaks up, and the glee in his voice is disgusting.   
  
In their world, no one would hesitate in throwing another person under the bus – both literally and figuratively – if it meant that they could pave their way to the very top. Jongin knows how it feels. He has lived in abject poverty for a significant portion of his life, and if he hadn't been taken into EXO years ago, he figures he might've been another dead rat on the streets. He's worked so hard to get to where he is now; he's not going to let it all crumble this easily.   
  
"Good," a deep voice with a slight accent tells them, "I no longer have a need for you two. You can leave us now."   
  
Jongin can feel the way the man's hand freezes at the order, his fingers digging into Jongin's scalp in a way that makes Jongin wince. They have evidently been expecting to stay on and witness how Jongin gets punished for his blunder, but tough luck. He's still of a higher rank in the syndicate than any of them can even dream of reaching; it's obvious that their leader will be more merciful towards him. Their leader is never one for public shaming, anyway. Jongin smirks.   
  
When they don't even move an inch, their leader speaks up again, this time with dark anger clear as daylight in his voice. "Did I not make myself understood?" He asks, and Jongin can only imagine how the man is wearing a deceptively calm appearance as he stares his two underlings down.   
  
It's one of the many reasons why Kris Wu is the most feared syndicate leader in all of Seoul. He never shows his emotions outwardly, and one can only guess how he's actually feeling towards a particular subject matter when he speaks. Even Jongin, who's been under his wing for years now, can't seem to figure that out. Kris Wu is a complex person.   
  
At that, though, Jongin can feel the pressure at the back of his head lift immediately. Jongin wastes no time in pulling himself to stand, while attempting to straighten his still-damp clothes. Even in an enclosed area, the chill from the rain still lingers, and Jongin fights not to shudder. He's been through worse weather and frigid temperatures. He can deal with this.   
  
He can't wipe the smugness from his face as he hangs back and watches them scramble out of the room before Kris  _really_ blows up at them, but when he's left alone with Kris again, the expression quickly drops. With only the two of them remaining in the room, Jongin suddenly doesn't feel all too brave. He knows what Kris Wu is capable of when he's royally pissed. He just hopes he isn't going to be on the receiving end of Kris' wrath, seeing as to how Kris had ordered for his underlings to chase Jongin down no matter what it takes.   
  
"Did you really think you could've made a run for it, Jongin?" Kris speaks up then, in his usual chillingly calm voice. Jongin flinches at the use of his birth name; Kris is the only person in the syndicate who knows of it, and hearing it coming from Kris' lips unsettles Jongin even more. He almost never uses the name, preferring to call Jongin as Kai most of the time. This is evidently an entirely different ball game altogether.   
  
Jongin clears his parched throat nervously. It's still dry and hurting from the amount of running he's been doing earlier. He half-considers lying to Kris, but the latter has been in the shady underworld for years. He can call out a lie when he sees it, and at this particular time, Jongin thinks it's a massive risk – one that includes having his life ending right then and there – so he aborts the thought.   
  
"I had to try, somehow." Jongin tells him honestly instead, because that's what he'd been up to. Kris' intense gaze burns into him, and Jongin shuffles a little in his position. "I thought you might kill me for what I've done."  
  
All of a sudden, Jongin feels pathetic. This scene reminds him of the times when his mother would reprimand him for commuting a mischief, but this,  _this_  feels a whole lot worse.  
  
Kris lets out a mirthless chuckle. "You're not wrong." He says simply, linking his hands behind his back as he paces towards his chair. Jongin is torn between following after Kris and remaining rooted in his spot. For his safety, he decides on the latter. "I  _am_  extremely angry that you messed up the drug deal. Do you have an idea how much you have cost me?"  
  
Jongin swallows again. "I have a rough idea." The drugs would have been worth at least a couple of billion Won, judging by the sheer size of the deal. Jongin is basically as good as a dead man walking.   
  
"It doesn't matter now–" Kris suddenly says, and Jongin's gaze snaps up in surprise. It's unlike Kris to be so lenient to him, even if Jongin is one of his favourites, but something tells Jongin there's a catch behind all of this.  
  
So he braves his nerves and throws the bait. "It doesn't?" Jongin tries his level best to appear calm; he doesn't sound very convincing to himself, but it’ll have to do.   
  
Kris beckons him over to the table. Jongin does as he's told, and when he slides into the seat right across his boss, still feeling somewhat perplexed that Kris hasn't smacked him down to the deepest pits of hell yet, Kris slides a photo face-down towards Jongin. Sensing the silent question in Jongin's eyes, Kris leans back into his seat and rests his chin on his interlinked fingers, seemingly brooding. It's the most troubled expression Jongin has seen on Kris. "Take a look at that, and you'll understand." His voice is both hard and anxious at the same time, again something uncharacteristic of Kris Wu.   
  
Jongin reaches forward and slips the photo into his palm regardless. His eyes widen when he flips it over and sees what's on it, and he suddenly understands why fucking up the drug deal isn't such a grave matter to Kris anymore.   
  
Because getting caught pinning Kim Junmyeon, the police chief of Seoul, against the wall of a hotel's stairwell and furiously making out with him is as compromising a position as anyone can get themselves into. Jongin already knows that Kris is in a relationship with Junmyeon for a while now, but having that fact out in the open is going to compromise Kris' business, no matter how he sees it. It isn't like Kris to be this careless, but Jongin supposed passion can erode the senses of even the most careful of persons.   
  
"I believe you understand the gravity of the situation. If my relationship with Junmyeon is revealed, I'll lose a lot more money than I ever will from this drug deal you've screwed up." Kris states, but his words are filled with burden. Even if he doesn't admit to it, Jongin knows that Junmyeon means more to Kris than he'll ever care to admit. In the beginning, getting close to the police chief was probably a ploy on Kris' part to lessen the threat on his illicit activities, but somewhere along the way, feelings have changed. And it's now coming back to threaten Kris.  
  
Once upon a time, Kris Wu might not have hesitated to drop the relationship in a heartbeat. But right now, Jongin doesn't think it’s ever going to happen, if the soft gazes Kris graces Junmyeon with is any indication of it.   
  
"What do you want me to do?" Jongin asks instead, knowing instantly that this is the catch for Kris to spare his life.   
  
Kris' expression is serious as he leans forward and holds Jongin's gaze down. "I am giving you a month's time. Find out who is the person trying to blackmail me with all these photos, and kill him. If you don't,  _I'll_  kill  _you_."   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
Jongin stares blankly at the wall across him as he mulls over his thoughts, wondering about the impossible mission Kris had just given to him earlier that evening. He's freshly showered now, his head a lot clearer than it had been, but he just can't fathom how he's supposed to find the person who has been blackmailing Kris with incriminating photos of him and Junmyeon together. It seems the person had bugged every single thing imaginable, obtaining even photos of Kris pounding into Junmyeon in bed. It really isn’t like Kris to be this careless.   
  
Jongin tries hard to wipe them out. He doesn't need the images of two naked men swimming around in his head while he's trying to think of a way to save his own ass.   
  
It's not until Chanyeol pinches Jongin hard in his side that Jongin remembers his friend is still fussing over the cuts and bruises he sustained from being chased down earlier. He yelps and jumps as far away from Chanyeol's evil clutches as he can, resorting to scowling at the other man instead. "Have mercy on the injured!" Jongin hisses, only to earn himself a disdained look from Chanyeol.   
  
"You get injured all the damned time. I don't see why I should go easy on you when you're not even being merciful to yourself," Chanyeol sniffs as he chucks the bottle of iodine back into the first aid kit, then lights up a cigarette and sticks it between his lips. "So, what sort of fuckery did you get yourself into this time?"  
  
"The biggest fuckery ever known to mankind." Jongin slumps in his seat, feeling the last of his energy slip out of his being. He gratefully accepts the cigarette that Chanyeol passes to him and inhales deeply before handing it back. The nicotine boosts his spirits, if only marginally. "I messed up the job Kris had assigned me to the other day."  
  
Chanyeol's eyes go wide. "That deal with the drug cartel? Shit, man. You're really something to do that."  
  
Jongin rolls his eyes at Chanyeol. "Don't even remind me. Now I have to find out who's the dude with balls massive enough to blackmail Kris anonymously within the month, or  _my_  blood will be spilled." He groans and smothers his face with his hand.   
  
"Where are you even going to start searching?" Chanyeol asks the very question Jongin has been fretting over for at least the past two hours or so.   
  
They both know how notorious Kris Wu is in the underworld, and the number of enemies he's made isn't a small figure to begin with. Some of the smaller syndicates may appear to have an amiable relationship with EXO for the sake of keeping their businesses alive, but it doesn't mean they won't betray Kris the moment they get the chance to do so. Jongin's sure that everyone would pay a fortune to watch Kris Wu and EXO go down in flames. That's where Jongin's dilemma begins – just who in Seoul is insane enough to blackmail Kris in such a manner, and  _why_?   
  
"I don't know." Jongin sighs. He hates how helpless he is in the face of things, even though he's been dabbling in the darker side of Seoul for the better half of his years of existence. "Everyone's a plausible suspect. Everyone wants to be there to watch as Kris goes to hell."   
  
It's then that Chanyeol suddenly lights up and pulls out his phone, furiously scrolling through his contact list until he arrives at the name he's been searching for. Jongin's forehead is furrowed as he receives Chanyeol's phone, only to be met with the sight of two foreign-sounding characters on the screen.   
  
"Luhan's your best bet at this point of time," Chanyeol explains when he senses Jongin's confusion. "He's  _the_  person to go to if you want to know about the latest scandals and secrets in the underworld, a professional information trader of sorts. Maybe you can get some leads from there."  
  
There's hesitation on Jongin's part, even as he pulls out a paper and scribbles down this Luhan person's contact number. In the dead of the night, though, when Chanyeol is long gone from Jongin's shoddy apartment, he makes the decision to look Luhan up the first thing in the morning.   
  
When his life is on the line, what has he got to lose?  
  
  


✳

  
  
  
There's apprehension in the lines of Jongin's body when he arrives at the foot of an upscale apartment in Myeongdong, feeling completely out of place in his scruffy outfit and dirty sneakers. He pulls out the paper with Luhan's address scribbled upon it, and double confirms it with his own eyes. Somehow, when he's told that Luhan knows almost every secret and scandal there is in the Seoul underworld, Jongin expects for him to live in somewhere less flashy, not  _this_. It screams attention to Jongin, which is something not many from their line of job would opt for, preferring to settle down somewhere more obscure instead.   
  
Shrugging, Jongin takes his first steps into the building's vicinity, surprised when the guards don't even bat an eyelash. His arms might be inked with tattoos of various shapes and sizes, but Jongin has been told he doesn't look very intimidating at first glance. It's a completely different story when he gets his hands on a gun, however – one of the reasons why Kris trusts on Jongin to pull off the riskier jobs. It's just by a twist of extreme shitty luck that he's stuck with a failed drug deal and a deadline on his life.   
  
Soon, he finds himself at the doorstep to Luhan's supposed apartment unit, and Jongin immediately hits the bell. With such limited time before his ultimate death – if he should fail this task, too – he can't afford to waste even a single second of it, if it means bringing him a step closer to his anonymous target.  
  
Jongin is again taken aback when the owner of the unit answers the door. He's expecting this Luhan person to be a gruff Chinese man with an intimidating size, since that's how usually information brokers are, but the person that greets him is a fresh-faced young man who's probably even younger than Jongin is. He's suitably muscled, judging from the way the sleeveless top clings to his figure, but there's not an ounce of threatening air coming from this man standing before him. Chanyeol can't be serious.   
  
"Can I help you?" The man asks with slightly accented Korean, his expressions as innocent and clueless as it can get, and Jongin makes a split-moment decision that there's no way this is the person he's searching for.   
  
So Jongin graces the man with an apologetic smile instead. "I must have gotten the wrong apartment unit. I'm sorry for the bother." He says, with the sort of politeness his mother had ingrained in him in the past, feeling somewhat thankful that it hasn't been completely eroded from him. Admittedly, it still has its uses.   
  
What comes out of the man's mouth when Jongin turns to leave, however, has him rooted on the spot. "I get that all the time, you know. One unassuming-looking chap can't possibly know all the secrets of the underworld, can he?"   
  
Jongin spins around just in time to see the man's lips crack into an unmistakable smirk. "Park Chanyeol gave you my contact, I presume."   
  
It's all the convincing that Jongin needs to confirm the man's identity.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
"So let me get this straight," Luhan hums thoughtfully, drumming his slender fingers against the table top in a steady rhythm. Jongin tries not to get distracted. It's difficult, when they look so nice and smooth from the distance. "You basically fucked over the boss of the biggest syndicate in Seoul, and you're going to get fucked if you don't find this person in a month?"  
  
It's a crude way of describing things, and Jongin still can't seem to connect the profanities to someone who appears so deceptively mild, but he does nod in confirmation. "I can't give you the specifics," he tells Luhan, leaving the  _or I'll be as good as dead in the morning_  unsaid, considering how he's technically seeking for help from someone outside the syndicate, though he supposes Luhan understands. The Chinese man seems to have been in this business for as long as Jongin. Perhaps longer. Jongin doesn't pry. "But yeah, that's basically it."   
  
Luhan leans back with casual ease, his gaze measuring as he regards Jongin. "You  _do_  know that Kris Wu is public enemy number one in the Seoul underworld, don't you?"   
  
"Do I look like I have a choice?" Jongin frowns a little. "I just need your help in narrowing down the possible suspects who are brave enough to blackmail Kris, that's all."  
  
"Stupid, you mean." Luhan comments offhandedly, but then he shrugs and edges forward in his seat. "Fine, I'll help. But you need to know that I accept only upfront payments – for each piece of information I give in return."   
  
That had Jongin worrying. Already he's drowning in a shit pile of debt, and here he has Luhan asking him for more. He doesn't realise that his fretting shows on his face, but he's made aware of that fact when Luhan chuckles quietly and speaks up again.  
  
"Don't worry," he tells Jongin. "My rules are simple. I'm not looking for monetary payment, only favours in exchange for another favour."   
  
Jongin can't stop his eyes from wandering around Luhan's apartment, taking in the way everything seems to scream of money. He wonders if Luhan charges differently for each client, or if Luhan's just born privileged. Again, Jongin doesn't pry. He's here to request help from Luhan, and since Luhan's more than happy to do so without involving the exchange of currencies, Jongin isn't going to let the opportunity slip. "Shoot. I'm listening."   
  
Luhan cracks into a dangerous smile then, one that makes Jongin's spine tingle. "I'm sure you're no stranger to killing. I've a problem with someone who refuses to seal his end of the deal, and I'm honestly sick of him. Prove to me that you can do this. If you get this job right, I'll give you the information you need."   
  
Jongin has expected that he's going to get his hands dirty from the very beginning. It's a corrupt world out there, and the world he's living in is far worse. The terms are simple enough for Jongin to be contented with it, so he extends his hand for Luhan to shake.   
  
"Deal."  
  
  


✳

  
  
  
It's two days later that Jongin finds himself at the doorstep of Luhan's apartment, and he's glad Luhan is at home when he arrives. Luhan appears as though he's already used to having people drop by unannounced, and ushers Jongin in like they have nothing to do with the murky world hidden from the sun that shines down upon Seoul.   
  
"I presume you've settled your side of the deal?" Luhan wonders aloud as he makes coffee for the both of them. To be fair, it's much too early in the day to be doing anything at all, and Jongin realises belatedly that he might've disturbed Luhan's sleep when he catches sight of Luhan's hair sticking up in odd angles, and takes note of the fact that Luhan's walking around in his bed clothes, consisting of a worn-out tank top and shorts.   
  
It isn't until Luhan places his cup of coffee on the table with a soft clatter that Jongin flushes, hoping he hasn't been caught staring. "Yeah," he says in the calmest voice he can manage, and scrolls through the photo roll of his phone for the proof. "Here."   
  
Luhan examines the shot closely for a brief moment, before cracking into a satisfied smile. "A bullet right through the forehead. Not bad; I had expected for you to shoot him somewhere more inconspicuous."   
  
Jongin deletes the photo and pockets his phone before shrugging. "Figured you might want something flashier. He sounds like a shitty client to have, from the way you described him."  
  
"I like you already, Kim Jongin," Luhan declares, and Jongin tries not to look too much into the fondness in his eyes. "Now, I think I should keep my end of the deal, lest you think I'm using you as free labour."   
  
He's made to wait with the mug of coffee to warm his hands up, while Luhan walks into his study and sits at his laptop. From where he's seated, Jongin can see the way Luhan's fingers dance across the keyboard, probably pulling up the information Jongin needs from his database. For a moment, Jongin wonders if it's at all possible for him to take a look at Luhan's computer, to see for himself if Luhan's really as resourceful and knowledgeable about the secrets and scandals of the underworld as Chanyeol claims him to be. But it's evidently going to be a breach of trust – and, quite possibly Jongin's express ticket to hell if Luhan catches him – so he quickly erases the thought.   
  
Soon enough, the printer whirrs to life, and Luhan walks out with a paper in hand. Jongin sets his mug back down on the table and takes it into his hands when Luhan offers it to him, and his eyes widen marginally when he catches sight of the sole photo on the top of the page. No way in hell–  
  
"I'm sure you know of the Dragon Lady, Victoria Song." Luhan comments, and Jongin is hyperaware of his gaze on Jongin, as if measuring his reaction.   
  
"Of course." Jongin replies simply. Everyone knows Victoria, the one who helms f(x) that specialises in arms trading, the sole female syndicate leader in all of Seoul – and possibly the whole of Korea. Her rise to power had been very eventful, with her overthrowing the previous incompetent leader with the sort of merciless grace which rivals Kris Wu's. She's eye-catching in her own special way, always seen dressed in an elegant  _cheongsam_  with slits cutting right up to the top of her thigh, her hair tumbling down her back like a black waterfall. To the trained eye, though, it's impossible to miss the way she keeps several daggers strapped to the side of her thighs.   
  
If anything, Victoria Song is one lady Jongin would never want to cross. Her skills at throwing daggers is as deadly as her beauty, and he's possibly going to die without knowing what hit him, if he decides to tail Victoria around and find out if she's indeed the one blackmailing Kris.   
  
"I've done some searching, and she's the prime suspect for the time being." Luhan informs, and when Jongin looks up and tries to search Luhan's face for answers, the Chinese man only laughs. "You know the rules. One favour in exchange for another piece of information."  
  
Jongin scowls at him. "It's too high of a price to pay, don't you think? One life for just a name and a photo?"  
  
Luhan clicks his tongue in obvious disapproval. "My hiring price doesn't come cheap. I'm sure I told you the first time you came to me." He says, then fishes another photo out of his pocket and slides it across the table to Jongin. "Do this a little more artistically, and I'll consider giving you something extra when you're done."   
  
If there's one thing Jongin will never back down from, it's a challenge. At this particular moment, every line of Luhan's body, to the light dancing in his eyes scream of a challenge for Jongin to up his game a notch. Jongin grits his teeth, and pockets the photo of his next victim, along with the paper holding Victoria's photo before making to leave. "You'll hear from me tomorrow morning." He promises Luhan, before pulling the door shut behind him, fully aware of Luhan's keen eyes following him every step of the way.   
  
The faster he settles this, the closer he gets to discovering the identity of the person who's been blackmailing Kris, and the further he'll be from a premature death.   
  
Time is ticking down, and Jongin honestly doesn't have a single second to waste.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
Jongin makes sure to prove that he's a man of his words. If there's one honourable thing that he has learned while dabbling in the darker side of Seoul, it's to keep to his promises. As dirty as their dealings may be, they have their own code of honour, and Jongin refuses to have that eroded from him, even if he's growing more desperate by the day.   
  
Cue Luhan answering the door while still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes the next morning, while Jongin wants nothing else but to drop dead in bed. The job Luhan had thrown to him the previous day proved to be one of the most challenging tasks Jongin has had to deal with in the recent years – but he's glad he managed to finish it off without any complications.  
  
"You're really early today," Luhan comments as he trails after Jongin into the living room. Judging by the dark circles beneath Luhan's eyes and the way he's yawning like he's having heroin withdrawals, he must've had a late night. Even so, he still makes a very attractive person.   
  
"I haven't slept since I last saw you yesterday." Jongin shrugs, going for casual nonchalance, but he's sure he looks half-dead anyway. When Luhan raises an eyebrow in question, Jongin continues to explain himself. "I wanted to finish off the job as soon as I could."  
  
Luhan decidedly looks impressed. "You're pretty efficient, if I might say. Let's see what you've got."   
  
Jongin doesn't say anything else, just reaches for the remote control on the coffee table and switches on the television, as the clock strikes eight for the morning news. It's a risky move, but Jongin had lingered around the location of his job long enough to see the reporters swarming the entrance of the bungalow early that morning, all eager to get the scoop of the day. The death of a prominent businessman, especially from what seems like suicide, is always big news.   
  
"Smothered him in his sleep and hung him from the curtain railing. Made it look like suicide." Jongin mumbles sleepily, feeding Luhan the exact details of his deed while the reporters on the television screen continue to speculate, sounding like he's merely talking about the weather. From the corner of Jongin's eyes, he could see Luhan watching the news with fascination. There's no doubt he's more than satisfied with what Jongin has done.   
  
It's not until the newscaster moves on to the next topic of the day that Luhan flicks the television off and leans back into the sofa, yawning widely before a sleepy but satisfied smile finds its way onto his face. "I like what you've done," he comments, closing his eyes to rest them a little more. The morning sun is beginning to creep in through the windows, and perhaps a little too blinding for the tired eyes of the still half-asleep Luhan, but the way the sun rays illuminate his face makes him look a little ethereal. Jongin finds himself mesmerised.  
  
"Yeah?" He asks, a little smug, but mostly exhausted from all the hauling he's been doing all night. "You're making me crack my head too much to settle your requests."   
  
Luhan laughs; it's a short, pleasant sound, and for a moment, Jongin nearly forgets why he's here in the first place. It's not until Luhan speaks up again next that he remembers about the time bomb ticking down to his end. "Victoria Song and Kris Wu used to have a thing going on, way before she even became f(x)'s leader." He says, and Jongin finds himself suddenly awake. “They ended on pretty bad terms, I heard, and I can’t discount the possibility that she might be royally pissed after catching wind of the rumours of him fucking another guy.”   
  
The tail end of Luhan’s sentence made Jongin tense up. “What do you mean by that?” He asks after giving careful consideration about his choice of words. Jongin thinks there’s a large chance of him getting murdered if Kris ever finds out he’s the one who confirmed the rumours, albeit by accident.   
  
Luhan just smiles at him. “The rumour runs rampant amongst us information brokers, if you must know. No one can ascertain that fact yet, though.”   
  
Jongin relaxes a little at the information. They can speculate all they want; Kris isn’t one to let his secrets out in the open that easily. It’s only by an unfortunate twist that his trysts with Junmyeon had been found out at all.   
  
Playing along with the flow, though, Jongin gives a careless shrug. “For all you know, it could be a smear campaign. It’s always dangerous to have your relationships exposed, especially with so many people trying to get something out of you.”   
  
Luhan nods in agreement. “But if it  _is_  true, I can understand why Victoria would be angry. I would too, if I were her. Imagine being jilted and finding out that your ex-lover preferred someone of the same sex over you.”  
  
Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the direction their conversation is heading, Jongin quickly changes the topic. “Do you have any other information to support your suspicion of Victoria being the one who’s threatening Kris, though?”  
  
Unfortunately, sleepy as he might be, Luhan doesn’t let himself fall prey to Jongin’s bait that easily. The smirk is back on his face in an instant, and he wags a disapproving finger at Jongin. “Another favour in exchange for more information. Don’t even try to be sneaky.”   
  
Damn. “Fine,” Jongin sighs. “What else do you need from me?”   
  
“I’m sort of intrigued by the way you finish your jobs.” Luhan purrs, and leans forward just a little more. The way the sunlight falls on his lashes and casts attractive shadows upon his face makes Jongin hold his breath. How could someone be so beautiful yet have an undertone of danger to their existence? “I have another task for you, tonight, but I want to be there when you commit your deed.”   
  
Jongin shifts a little in his seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the request. He isn’t used to having someone else watch him as he goes in for the kill, because he  _can_  and  _will_  act in a cold-blooded manner if the need arises. “Are you really sure? You might get sick–”   
  
Luhan’s amused laughter cuts Jongin off, and the light in his eyes are suddenly frigid when he speaks up next. “You will end up regretting it if you keep regarding me as a fragile doll, Kim Jongin.”   
  
It’s as convincing as any argument can get, and once again, Jongin finds himself giving in without putting up a fight. “If you insist,” he sighs and makes to stand, only to raise an eyebrow in surprise when Luhan reaches forward and wraps his slender but strong fingers around Jongin’s wrist.   
  
“Stay,” Luhan commands him. “You must be tired after what you’ve done yesterday. You can rest here for the day.”   
  
Somehow, Luhan’s intonation allows no room for argument, and Jongin finds himself collapsing on the very comfortable sofa very willingly, because he doesn’t think he’ll make it home in one piece in his current condition. Within minutes, he’s already drifted to a much-needed deep sleep, the tenseness in his muscles slowly bleeding out of him.  
  
He’s only vaguely aware of the way Luhan stares at him as he sleeps.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
That evening, Jongin finds himself following Luhan into a prominent nightclub in Hongdae, with the loud music blaring in their ears with every step they take. For someone who looks so innocent, Luhan sure undergoes a drastic transformation when he picks up an eyeliner to frame his magnetic eyes with thick, black lines. His outfit for the night is as distracting as it can get, a dark mesh top which doesn't do much to hide what's beneath, and Jongin finds his eyes wandering unnecessarily to the lines of Luhan's abs. It makes Jongin want to run his hands across them, up towards Luhan's pert nipples that entice him even in the darkness of the club.   
  
When Jongin's about to ask what they were doing there, Luhan leads him into a private room, where a burly man already waits. Despite the amount of tattoos he wears on his body and the somewhat intimidating look on his face, Jongin doesn't think that the man belongs to any of the triads or syndicates running rampant in the Seoul underground. He doesn't have the aura of a killer, and nor does Jongin recognise him. He’s been around long enough to know most of those who are like him.   
  
Jongin finds himself surprised, though, when Luhan locks the door behind them and walks right up to the man, who grabs Luhan roughly by the hair and forces his head backwards before claiming his lips in a rough kiss. What comes next is an ugly sensation of jealousy, burning deep and strong in the pit of Jongin’s stomach. Jongin doesn't quite understand why, but looking on as the man mauls Luhan's lips with his chapped ones, Jongin kind of wishes he could replace the man instead. It's only by sheer willpower that Jongin manages to repress himself from launching a fruit knife at the man's eye. The weapon is easily within reach.   
  
Luhan's lips are swollen and shiny with spit by the time they break apart from the heated kiss, his breaths a little too rapid as a smile finds its way to his expressions. The light in Luhan's eyes is anything but pleased, though – murderous, actually, by Jongin's observations – and the lines of his body are reluctant. Jongin slowly puts two and two together, coming to a conclusion that this man might just be his target for the night. Excellent. His hands are already itching to wrap around the man's thick neck.   
  
"You finally agreed to come out. It's been a long while, Lu." The man says, voice hoarse from the lust. Jongin feels sick when he can see the outline of the man's half-hard dick in his pants, and the way he's eyeing Luhan hungrily, like he can't wait to lap every inch of him up.   
  
"I have been busy, Junyong. You know that." Luhan inclines his head, looking up at the man through his lashes. It's a provocative image.   
  
The man called Junyong only barks in laughter. "Do I look like I care, Lu? If you had refused to meet me again tonight, I would've sent someone to hunt you down and drag you all the way out."  
  
Luhan clenches his jaw, and the words that come out of his lips next are stiff, simmering with latent anger. "Why? You have other boy toys to play with, I'm sure." He almost hisses, only to flinch when Junyong reaches forward and grabs hold of his jaw none-too-gently.   
  
"You know I like you best, Luhan." The man growls, voice low and threatening, and for once, Luhan actually looks helpless. Jongin hates what he sees. "No one can ever come close to the way you moan when I fuck into you."   
  
Despite the vice grip the man has on Luhan's jaw, he still manages to force his gaze away, hatred burning in his eyes this time. It's only then that the man notices Jongin's presence in the room, and he lets Luhan go with a satisfied smirk. "I see you've brought another toy for me. What might the occasion be?"   
  
 _Celebrating your impending death_ , Jongin is sure Luhan's thinking, but before Junyong can even walk towards Jongin, Luhan's already hurrying across the room, wrapping his arms around Jongin from behind. Jongin isn't given the chance to process the situation, when Luhan's lustful voice speaks up from beside him. "A gift of sorts," he tells Junyong with a lazy slur. "Wouldn't you like to watch him wrecking me before you join in the fun? You can both break me apart later," he proposes. His warm breath tickles the skin overlying Jongin's neck, and Jongin can feel the lust slowly pooling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
Junyong pauses to consider Luhan's proposition, before he drops himself in the nearest armchair and watches them with keen, lecherous eyes. "Do it, boy," he commands, and it's only after a while that Jongin realises Junyong is talking to him. "Fuck Luhan open and raw before I take him. Let me see what you can both do."   
  
"What–" Jongin starts to say, because when he'd agreed to let Luhan tag along for his next kill, he wasn't expecting this to happen.   
  
Luhan's quick to intercept before their cover gets blown, though, spinning Jongin around and smashing his lips almost painfully against Jongin's. He's done this plenty of times, Jongin reckons, when he finds Luhan steering them both steadily to the sofa before pushing Jongin on top of it, straddling Jongin's thighs as he kisses a hot trail up the angle of his jaw and nibbling at his ear.   
  
"Play along, or we'll both be dead if he finds out what we're up to." Luhan pants in a low voice. Jongin finds it incredibly distracting when Luhan is rubbing his crotch against Jongin’s rapidly hardening cock, making it difficult for him to think straight. He doesn't mind, though, because his mind has been in an overdrive from wanting to pin Luhan down and explore every inch of his body from the moment he'd seen Luhan kiss Junyong back with ferocious intensity.  
  
This time, Luhan's the one taken by surprise when Jongin pulls him down and flips him over so that their positions are reversed, but he's pliant and willing when Jongin pulls Luhan's top off of him. He soon finds out the authenticity behind Junyong's words, when Luhan begins to moan into his mouth in a way that makes the lust soar faster. Luhan's a complete wreck within moments, keening and scratching at Jongin's back as he swirls his tongue around Luhan's nipple while a hand skims teasingly at the waistband of Luhan's jeans.  
  
If at all possible, Luhan looks more beautiful like this, his defences crumbling before Jongin with every swipe of his tongue. Soon he's begging for Jongin to strip him bare, which Jongin gleefully obliges. When he's greeted by the way Luhan's cock curls towards his stomach, thick and leaking at its tip, Jongin finds that he really can't contain himself any longer. The bottle of lube on the side table catches his eye, and Jongin slathers his fingers with it, devouring Luhan's mouth as he slides a finger into Luhan without as much of a warning. Luhan releases a high pitched whine from the back of his throat, but the moans become more wanton as Jongin slowly works up a steady pace into Luhan. Luhan becomes more of a mess when Jongin wraps his other hand around Luhan's cock, fisting it in a rhythm that matches the one striking his prostate.   
  
It isn't until another unfamiliar moan reached his ear that Jongin remembers with a start Junyong is still in the room watching them. From his peripheral vision, he realises that Junyong has already stripped himself of his clothes, one hand pinching his own nipple while he strokes his cock. The image is immensely disturbing, and Jongin's somewhat glad Luhan notices that and brings his attention back to what they're doing.   
  
Somehow, being with Luhan makes Jongin forget about everything else. It's peculiar, especially when they haven't known each other for long, but the attraction is undeniably there and strong.  
  
"Jongin,  _please_ ," Luhan keens, hips caught in an erratic rhythm as he tries to fuck down onto Jongin's fingers and up into Jongin's fist at the same time. His arms come up to wrap around Jongin's neck, lips chasing desperately after Jongin's equally swollen ones, and Jongin is quick to catch on to his desires. Without intending to leave Luhan unattended for long, he quickly climbs out of his own pants and rolls on a condom, slathering a generous amount of lube around his cock before positioning himself between Luhan's legs again. With a nod, Jongin's already pushing into Luhan, his moan a potent aphrodisiac on its own to drive Jongin’s lust forward.   
  
He doesn't know how long he's been thrusting into Luhan, only fucking in harder and harder in hopes that the tight coil in the pit of his stomach would snap soon, but when he's painfully close to reaching his climax, Jongin finds himself in terrible confusion when the rhythm is interrupted rudely. Junyong's vice grip is on his hair when he regains his bearings, the grin on the man's face so feral that it makes Jongin want to throw up, but then he remembers Luhan's plans and he stops himself short of punching the living daylights out of Junyong.   
  
The humiliation burns strong when he allows Junyong to cast him aside like a used ragdoll, his cock still throbbing with want as he watches Junyong take his place. Luhan appears as confused as Jongin feels in his haze of lust, but he isn't given the chance to wrap his mind around the change in events, only shouting aloud when Junyong fucks right into him. Jongin feels the rage rising in him, with every tear that escapes from the corner of Luhan's eyes. Junyong has a thicker girth than Jongin, so it must hurt when he forces himself on Luhan without giving him an opportunity to get used to the stretch. Even if they have had sex before, Jongin’s sure it has been a long while since the last instance.  
  
That's when Jongin catches sight of Junyong's clothes in a pile near him, and an idea comes into mind. Quietly, he grabs Junyong's shirt and sneaks up behind the burly man, who's too invested in fucking Luhan raw that he doesn't notice another figure moving about in the room. Just as Junyong's thrusts become more erratic, his orgasm about to claim him, Jongin jumps on him and wraps the shirt around his neck in one quick motion, twisting the material hard and making sure that Junyong's airway is impeded.  
  
He watches with dark satisfaction as the colour of Junyong's face turns from red to purple, his stubby fingers coming up to scrabble at the tight hold Jongin has around his neck. For someone so burly, Junyong really lacks the fight. It's five minutes later when the man finally stops struggling altogether, and once Jongin's sure Junyong's dead, he quickly pushes the man away from Luhan and wraps his arm around him, reassuring Luhan time and again that the ordeal is over. For someone who’s usually so strong and level-headed, Luhan appears so horribly fragile at that particular moment, and the warm tears that fall on Jongin's shoulder startles him.   
  
Jongin doesn't say a thing, though, only continuing to cradle a crying Luhan in his arms.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
Even if it's late at night – much too late for even the likes of him to still be awake – the apartment feels uncharacteristically silent and overly suffocating for Jongin's liking. He's freshly showered, the sharp smell of Luhan's menthol body wash he’s borrowed hanging in the air, and the exhaustion clings onto him like a heavy velvet drape, but Jongin finds that he can't rest easy.   
  
Luhan's still taking a shower, and Jongin's eyes keep wandering towards the closed door of his bedroom, wondering if the other man is doing fine. He hasn't been in the best of shape after being badly shaken up by the incident at the nightclub, and had remained completely silent on their way back home. But Jongin can't bring himself to ask how Luhan is doing, because their relationship is strictly restricted to the business deal they have struck. Any more than that, Jongin would be prying. His concern is probably going to be unwanted.   
  
Yet Jongin can’t stop his mind from playing guessing games, wondering just how Luhan had gotten involved with a man like Junyong in the first place. From the intimate way Junyong had interacted with Luhan, it seemed as though they had a long-running history – one, which, Jongin’s curious to find out. Luhan doesn’t come across as a person who’d let someone else blackmail him this easily; he’s as careful as Kris can get. It doesn’t quite make sense why he’d be so submissive before Junyong, but Jongin guesses it might be part of the reason why Luhan’s eager to have him dead.   
  
Jongin startles a little when the lock clicks and Luhan finally walks out of the room, his expressions nothing like the distraught one he’d worn just over an hour ago. It’s frigid, in fact, and Jongin knows for a fact that Luhan’s closed himself up in his own shell once again, probably having chastised himself in the shower for showing Jongin his fragile side.   
  
Sometimes, Jongin thinks that Luhan is just like him. They both refused to show their weaknesses to the rest of the world, enclosing themselves in thick walls that are difficult to bring down except in the most arduous of circumstances. Even if it’s too much to ask from someone whom he’s barely known for more than a week, Jongin wishes he could see more of Luhan without his mask.   
  
He’s not allowed to continue on that train of thoughts, when Luhan slides another photo across the coffee table and claims the empty armchair to Jongin’s right, reminding him that the business pact still stands, even if Jongin has seen all of Luhan. Jongin isn’t sure why he feels a little sour deep within, but he picks the photo up anyway, watching through his lashes as Luhan rubs his hair dry, waiting for an explanation from the man himself.   
  
“That man in the photo is Lee Taeyong,” Luhan explains once he’s exhausted enough to let himself drop against the cushions, as though sensing Jongin’s keen gaze even if Luhan has his eyes closed. “He’s rarely seen in public, if that’s what you’re wondering.”   
  
Jongin frowns a little. “Is he another prospective suspect?” He asks, his gaze burning into the photo in his hand. Lee Taeyong seems like a normal enough person, one whom you’ll least expect to be a part of the underworld at first glance, but Jongin looks closer at the sharpness in Taeyong’s eyes and changes his mind. Those are the eyes of a killer, one who’s always on the prowl for their next unsuspecting target.   
  
Luhan shakes his head no. “It’s not a widely known information, but he’s under Victoria’s wing – her personal aide, if you will.”  
  
“I don’t get it,” Jongin says. “Why would the Dragon Lady need a personal aide? She’s more than capable to take down a group of attackers on her own.”   
  
“That might be true–” Luhan concurs, his voice still hard, “–but gang leaders usually have someone in the shadows to do some of their bidding. Lee Taeyong is  _that_  person for Victoria. Spying, stalking, killing in the dark; he does everything on Victoria’s behalf, if at all the target or job will lead to an all-out assault if the main mastermind is found.”   
  
Jongin thinks about his own position in EXO, and realises it’s true. Kris always leaves him to handle the more important tasks like assassination missions, when he’s trying to avoid a clash between groups. Besides, in a female-dominant syndicate, one wouldn’t even suspect Lee Taeyong to be connected to it, let alone to hold such an important position in it. It’s, quite frankly, the perfect disguise.   
  
“Why are you telling me all of this?” Jongin finds himself asking, because tonight, Luhan has let him onto a lot more information than he would’ve normally done. He had been expecting for Luhan to leave him with a name, and let Jongin barter for the rest of the details with more favours.   
  
Luhan’s gaze is oddly shut off when he reopens his eyes and looks at Jongin. “He’s your strongest lead to the identity of the person who’s threatening Kris,” he tells Jongin.  
  
Jongin has a feeling Luhan’s intentionally diverting the topic; Luhan’s smart enough to understand what Jongin had meant earlier. “You know that’s not what I’m asking, Luhan.”   
  
At this, Luhan sighs and swallows hard. The lines of stress on his face makes him look more his age, but Jongin doesn’t like it, somehow. “You’ve done me great service by killing him tonight.” Luhan says quietly, as though carefully wrapping himself in a tight cocoon and trying not to let himself fall apart in the process.   
  
Jongin honestly isn’t expecting any more elaboration than that, but it seems like Luhan’s in the mood to talk that night, because he continues to explain his words even if Jongin hasn’t said a thing. “It was a big mistake on my part to have entered a deal with him. It was supposed to be a one-off thing, sex in exchange for his protection from someone else I’ve crossed years ago, but it was difficult to get myself out of it. He keeps pushing closer, threatening me with all the secrets he knows about me.” His voice cracks a little, affecting Jongin in ways he wouldn’t have otherwise expected. Luhan’s expressions remain indifferent, however, almost like he’s reciting something out of his memory. “Image is everything when you’re an information broker, you know. Once it’s smeared, I’ll never be able to set foot in this city ever again – and that’s the least of my concerns.”   
  
“Why?” Jongin finds himself blurting out before he can even stop himself.  
  
This time, the way Luhan holds Jongin’s gaze is downright heart-breaking, making Jongin feel as though he’s getting dragged into the well-concealed sorrows Luhan’s experiencing, threatening to suffocate him from the sheer pressure of it.   
  
“I’m afraid of death, Jongin,” is all that Luhan whispers, and Jongin knows that he can no longer escape.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
_Two and a half weeks more to go. I hope you have substantial lead by now._  
  
Jongin flips his phone shut at the sight of the message, heaving a burdened sigh as he leans against the wall. He honestly doesn’t need the reminder, being acutely aware of the way time is running out for him. He’s not really one to keep tabs on things, but the situation leaves him with no choice.   
  
It’s frustrating enough that he’s not getting any closer to the identity of the person who’s openly blackmailing Kris behind a veil of anonymity. He doesn’t exactly know  _how_  to start investigating the Dragon Lady, either, seeing the tight security she has around her; Amber and Krystal are as deadly as their leader themselves. Then Luhan decides to shed the light upon Lee Taeyong’s existence – one person who is almost always hidden in the shadows – and Jongin finds himself utterly confused.   
  
Right now, though, Jongin grows impatient as he waits for the person he’s supposed to meet that evening. It’s another favour Luhan has asked of him, to collect a parcel from a man at this particular location. Luhan had only smiled mysteriously when Jongin had asked for some form of identification for the man, and told him he’ll find out when the man appears. It’s the most cryptic Luhan has been in days.   
  
He straightens up when a shabby-looking man stumbles right in front of him, but instantly Jongin gets the feeling that this is the person he’s been waiting for. He’s cradling a parcel in his arms, eyes wide and frantic, almost as though he’s protecting some important treasure of sorts. His eyes widen further – if it’s at all possible – when he looks up and recognises Jongin, and stammers as he thrusts the parcel into Jongin’s waiting hands. It’s heavy. “P–please make sure this reaches Master Lu safely!”   
  
Before Jongin can even ask what is contained in the box, the man is already out of sight, blending perfectly into the large crowd thronging the main street. He sighs a little, but wastes no time in getting the parcel back to Luhan. He’s desperate enough for new information, but Luhan’s eager to play games with him, insisting that Jongin completes his tasks before feeding him with the knowledge he needs.   
  
Imagine Jongin’s incredulity when Luhan fishes out two bottles of wine from the parcel with a flourish, beaming satisfactorily to himself as he raises one of them against the light to admire it. Jongin had thought it was a matter of life or death, so important that Luhan had no choice but to send Jongin out to help him with it, but he wasn’t expecting for himself to turn into a grocery boy.   
  
Jongin is livid at being fooled, and he slams a hand against the table to get Luhan’s attention. “Are you fucking playing me now?” He hisses, angry that he’s being made a fool like this.   
  
Luhan doesn’t even bat an eyelash as he turns back to regard Jongin, the smile on his face haunting and distant. “I believe we have an agreement. Didn’t you say you’d do  _anything_  for me, in exchange for the information you need?”   
  
“How would  _you_  feel if you’re fighting for your life, and I send you out for ridiculous shits like this?” Jongin almost yells. He can’t understand why Luhan’s doing this to him, especially when Luhan has tasted the exact same fear of an impending death and the desperation that comes with it, the strong desire to change his fate. Jongin had thought Luhan was serious in helping him out at first, when he sent Jongin to deal with the people who had crossed him. But over the past few days, he’s being sent on an increasing amount of mundane tasks – tasks which Luhan could handle on his own – and Jongin suddenly isn’t so sure anymore.   
  
“Desperate. Frustrated.” Luhan admits, but he says this with such casual nonchalance that it grates on Jongin’s nerves even more. He doesn't know if Luhan truly understands, or he's so used to the fear to the point of being unfeeling. Either way, he hates that Luhan is wasting what little time he has left to prove his worth.   
  
In a fit of rage, he circles the table to get to Luhan, and pushes him up against the nearest display cabinet, rattling the glassware within. For good measure – because Luhan never fails to surprise Jongin with the things he hides under his sleeves – Jongin threatens to impede Luhan's oxygen supply by pressing the back of his arm against Luhan's neck, rendering the other man at his complete mercy. Luhan has seen Jongin kill once. He should know what Jongin is capable of doing, even without any weapon within reach.  
  
"Stop fucking with me!" Jongin growls again. "What are you aiming for, by sending me on pointless errands like this?!"  
  
Luhan smiles unrepentantly – dangerously, even, and Jongin finds that he doesn't understand this man at all. "You entered a pact with me, knowing that you're going to be enslaved by it, don't you?" He reminds Jongin, seemingly unperturbed that Jongin can possibly twist his neck sharply and render him dead at any given moment. "Are you regretting it now?"  
  
Jongin breathes heavily and applies just a little more pressure against Luhan's trachea, enough to get the man to wince. "You're not the only information broker in town, Luhan." He warns. He can always get the information he needs from someone else, if Luhan's going to prove himself unhelpful.   
  
The smirk on Luhan's face only grows wider. "Are you sure you have the luxury of doing that?" Luhan challenges, and Jongin suddenly finds himself at a loss. Luhan knows how desperate Jongin is to find out the identity of whoever it is that's blackmailing Kris. Above all, Luhan also knows that he's Jongin's best bet, being touted as the information trader who has the widest knowledge of Seoul's underground.   
  
In short, Luhan has Jongin right where he wants him.   
  
Out of a moment’s inattention, Jongin's hold on Luhan slackens, and Luhan grabs the opportunity to pull Jongin down by the collar, kneeing him hard in the stomach and sending Jongin doubling over in pain. He then forces Jongin to his knees and grabs hold of his hair, making Jongin look up at him, with Jongin's neck completely bared for him to take.   
  
Jongin shudders when Luhan grazes his teeth suggestively along the angle of his jaw. "You remember how it's like, pinning me against the sofa and fucking me hard, don't you? How I moaned with every thrust of yours?" He reminds Jongin, and despite being angry at Luhan still, Jongin feels his cock twitch at the memory.   
  
To be honest with himself, Jongin has been thinking about what had happened on that particular night, with Luhan so pliant and bare and beautiful beneath him. He's fucked many people, men and women alike, but none has left such a deep impression in him until Luhan came along. Needless to say, he's been spending most nights after that with his hands down the waistband of his pants, jerking himself off to the memory of Luhan keening to every movement of his, of Luhan's muscles clenching so deliciously around him. He's never cummed harder while masturbating in his life, and Jongin has been wondering when he'll be able to caress Luhan's naked skin with his own hands again.   
  
The images are maddening, but Jongin refuses to give in. "What do you want with me?  _Why_  are you doing this?"  
  
Luhan chuckles lowly in his ear, the sound sending shivers down Jongin's spine. He finds that he wants to hear Luhan's warm breaths close to him, panting and moaning and screaming as he breaks Luhan apart. "Because I like seeing you coming back to me, time and again. I like the idea of you  _needing_  me, like no one else has needed me before." He bites down on Jongin's earlobe, making Jongin moan uncontrollably at the way Luhan's making him feel.  
  
"I don't  _get_  you, Luhan." Jongin manages to seethe through the haze of lust and anger, because he really doesn't understand why Luhan's fooling around with him like this. He can't help wondering if Luhan does it to all of his clients, but there's a part of him that secretly wishes he's the only exception.   
  
"I can't forget the way you fucked me the other night," Luhan whispers, and again Jongin shivers a little from delight. "I want you to  _worship_  me. Worship me like you've never worshipped anyone else before in your life, like I'm the only person you need to live." He leans in further and tilts his head just a little bit, so that his lips are dangerously close to the corner of Jongin's mouth. It's enticing.   
  
"You know you want me, Jongin." Luhan teases again, with his voice still in a whisper, like they're sharing something private in a crowded bar even though it's just the two of them in Luhan's apartment. "Why don't you just give in?"  
  
It's all the invitation Jongin needs to pull Luhan down roughly by the front of his tank top, smashing his lips against Luhan's to vent his frustrations at being teased and cornered in such a manner. In all his life, Jongin has always been the one to take control of things, owing to his aggressive demeanour, but this is the very first time he's been made to submit to someone who looks so much more harmless than him.   
  
Frankly, the idea excites him.   
  
Luhan isn't one to hold himself back either, it seems, kissing back with equal ferocity, nipping and biting at Jongin's bottom lip to force submission. It's messy, with lots of tongue and teeth involved, and it gets harder and harder for Jongin to breathe when the battle for dominance is so fierce. He doesn't bother waiting any longer to rid Luhan of his clothes, which come off easily due to the sheer bagginess of it, and Jongin finds himself marvelling at the sight of Luhan's naked body before him once again.   
  
Noticing that Jongin's attention is fully invested upon him, Luhan unabashedly sits back on his heels, one hand reaching up to pinch his own nipple, his head thrown back in pure unadulterated pleasure as his other roams all across his body, touching anywhere that's physically possible for him to reach. Jongin has different ideas, however, eyeing hungrily at Luhan's half-hard cock. He then remembers Luhan's request, for Jongin to worship his body like he's never done to anyone else before.   
  
Jongin's tongue darts out to wet his suddenly dry lips, then reaches forward to hold Luhan in place, before starting to map every last inch of Luhan's skin with his lips and tongue and occasional scrapes of teeth. Despite how desperate Jongin is to turn Luhan into a complete moaning mess, he still lowers Luhan carefully onto the carpeted floor, his lips not leaving Luhan's heated skin even once during the process. Luhan evidently likes Jongin's ministrations as he licks and sucks at one of Luhan's nipple before moving to the other, his long nails leaving angry red marks on Jongin's back, imprinting half-crescents into his skin.   
  
Luhan's already whimpering wantonly by the time Jongin's tongue skims teasingly down his trail of hair, hips bucking up in hopes that he can get more friction against his throbbing cock, but Jongin makes it a point to drag it out for him, pinning his hips down with his hands as he sucks one red mark after another on Luhan's inner thigh. He wants to see Luhan's pale thighs covered in purplish bruises coming morning; it would be a beautiful sight, Jongin is sure.   
  
It isn't until Luhan's nails start digging painfully into his scalp that Jongin finally gives up teasing him, nibbling one last mark onto Luhan's skin before moving upwards. He's trembling with anticipation when Jongin hovers over his groin, his eyes hungry with lust, and there's no further words needed before Jongin's wrapping a hand around Luhan's cock, guiding it into his mouth.   
  
Jongin nearly chokes when Luhan bucks up into him, the tip of his cock hitting the back of Jongin's throat, but Jongin's other hand moves to still Luhan's hips, controlling the pace of their little game of dominance. He sucks and licks at every inch of Luhan's cock, making sure to worship it the way Luhan wants him to, and he knows that Luhan is enjoying it when he throws his head backwards, his facial features contorted in perfect ecstasy, mouth parted in a silent moan.   
  
Luhan's almost sobbing with want when Jongin dips his tongue into his slit, lapping up every drop of precum that leaks out of his slit, and Jongin's surprised when Luhan yanks at his hair painfully, pulling Jongin up so that he can claim Jongin's lips in a messy kiss, hungrily trying to taste himself as he guides Jongin's fingers to his entrance. Jongin makes a sound of surprise when his fingers skim across Luhan's puckered hole and finds it already dripping with lube. Luhan has been preparing himself for Jongin it seems, and he's evidently proud of that too when he smirks against Jongin's lips.  
  
Jongin's lashes flutter shut when Luhan's lips traces a damp trail up the line of his jaw, his ragged breaths much too warm against Jongin's perspiration-covered skin. "I've always wanted you, from the moment you came to ask for help. I only wanted you even more after that night, when you fucked me so hard. It felt so good, Jongin. Don't you agree?"   
  
Jongin dips his head and nibbles at the juncture where Luhan's neck meets his shoulder, leaving yet another one of his marks there. "You drive me insane," he says as he laps at the redness there, head already clouded with lust. He can feel the way Luhan's cock is throbbing against his stomach, where they're pressed impossibly close together yet not close enough for Jongin's liking.   
  
"Good," Luhan laughs in his ear before he catches Jongin's earlobe between his teeth and tugs at it. "Because I don't plan on ever stopping."  
  
"What do you want me to do,  _master_?" Jongin purrs against the sweaty skin of Luhan's neck, feeling him shudder in his hold. It doesn't take much for Jongin to realise that Luhan revels in being able to dominate someone else, and the soft moan that escapes his lips, the way his eyes glazes over at the label only confirms that fact.   
  
He hisses a little when Luhan tugs sharply at his hair. "I want you to fuck me against the table. Fuck me until I can no longer stand."   
  
Jongin doesn't need to be told twice. It has been a long while since he's had rough sex, and the fact that Luhan's only all too willing to indulge him in his fantasies makes him even more excited. He growls a little and flips Luhan around, pushing him against the dining table made of mahogany and bends him over the edge.   
  
Seeing as he's already prepped himself enough, Jongin doesn't bother with anything else, slipping his cock into Luhan in one swift motion and hearing Luhan groan beneath him. It's a little tight, but Jongin suspects that Luhan has been fisting himself before Jongin paid him a visit, so it doesn't hurt as much for the other man. When Luhan bucks into him, Jongin takes it as his cue to pick up his pace, slamming into Luhan over and over again, until Luhan's legs turned into jelly and wobbled beneath him.   
  
Jongin wraps his arms around Luhan's waist to steady them both, keeping up a frenzy pace as he bends forward and covers Luhan's back with more kisses, one hand reaching up to fist Luhan's cock at the same time. His name is like a fervent mantra that tumbles out of Luhan's lips like his life depended on it, spurring Jongin on to go faster.   
  
Several more thrusts is all that's needed for Luhan to come with a shout, streaks of white splattering across the carpeted floor, and when Luhan's muscles clench around Jongin's cock, he's sent right over the edge too, filling Luhan completely with his load. He's so exhausted that he collapses partially on top of Luhan, licking lazily at the sweat covering his skin as they both ride out their orgasms, their laboured panting punctuating the air around them.  
  
Luhan’s the first to regain his bearings, slipping away from Jongin with a wet sound and turns around to wrap his arms around Jongin’s neck. There’s a mischievous smile on his face, before he reaches forward and catches Jongin’s swollen bottom lip between his teeth. “Not bad,” he hums seductively, his index finger tracing random circles over the skin at the nape of Jongin’s neck, making him shudder. “If you can make me come another time tonight, I’ll give you the information you need.”   
  
“Anything?” Jongin speaks up quietly, not trusting his voice. His body still feels like it’s on fire, when Luhan’s pressed up against him, their cocks brushing against each other with even the smallest of movements. Even if Luhan isn’t offering an exchange of information for Jongin to pleasure him, he would have taken Luhan anyway.   
  
“Anything.” Luhan promises, laughing breathlessly when Jongin hoists him upwards so that he can wrap his legs around Jongin’s waist. Jongin wastes no time in claiming Luhan’s mouth, his fingers wrapping around Luhan’s cock and pumping it to half-hardness again.   
  
Luhan drives Jongin crazy, but Jongin thinks he wouldn’t have it any other way.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
If there’s one thing Jongin likes about Luhan, it’s the fact that he never goes against his promises. He no longer sends Jongin on inane tasks these days, only trading bodily pleasure for anything that Jongin wants to know, as long as Jongin made him happy in bed.   
  
(The sex they have is mind-blowing, and no one mentions the few occasions they have fucked without expecting anything in return. It’s taboo, Jongin knows. He doesn’t even mind, as long as he can feel Luhan’s heated skin pressed against his, as long as he can listen to Luhan’s sinful moans and heavy breathing in his ears. Luhan is a work of art, when he’s lying on the bed all splayed out, his arms and legs tied to the bedposts as Jongin takes him hard and fast. He’s even more beautiful when he’s on top of Jongin, head thrown backwards as he rides Jongin’s cock, his fingers pinching at his own nipples before coming in streaks of white across Jongin’s stomach, Jongin’s face. Jongin loves it best when Luhan licks his cum off Jongin’s body, eyeing Jongin seductively like the dirty little cockslut he is.)   
  
It's not necessarily a terrible arrangement, Jongin thinks as he lights a cigarette and sticks it between his lips, even when the timer on his life is running dangerously short. In the event he  _does_  fail to find out who's been blackmailing Kris, at least he'll die with the memories of Luhan breaking apart under his ministrations. The thought makes his cock throb a little, but Jongin quickly pushes it aside, forcing himself to focus at the task at hand.   
  
When Luhan had told him Lee Taeyong is as elusive as the shadows, Jongin hadn't quite believed in him. After all, Jongin has been involved in the filthy side of Seoul for so long – it's not difficult to dig someone out of the murkiest depths of town, if you know where to find them. But after spending at least half a week trying to track the boy down, Jongin finds just how chillingly true Luhan's words are.   
  
Jongin finally finds Taeyong walking down the streets, his face buried nose-deep behind his scarf to block out the cold autumn air, after being tipped by Luhan.  _He's going to appear at the Golden Arch Hotel in Apgujeong by noon_ , Luhan had told him casually as Jongin fucked him from behind, their bodies curled together intimately on the bed, his words punctuated with silent mewls that made Jongin want to hear him scream louder. It's only by supreme luck that Jongin remembered that Kris was supposed to be there around the same time, too, and he made quick work of Luhan, who doesn't seem to mind it all that much.   
  
Then again, Luhan probably knows Jongin is going to come back to him for more that night. Luhan did, after all, promise him that he'll be the one to fuck Jongin's brains out next, a reward of sorts for Jongin's good behaviour. Jongin hasn't had a cock shoved up his ass in a while, not since his fling with Taemin, and his toes curl in anticipation as he wonders just what Luhan will do to him.   
  
Keeping a safe distance, Jongin pulls his trench coat tighter around his body to block out the autumn chill, his feet light as he walks into the hotel like he's one of hotel's guests. It's not difficult to get past the security guards manning the lifts, when he tells them he's working for Kris. He's been seen in these premises more than once, a familiar face when Kris is concerned, for Kris frequently calls for Jongin to hand him a new task after he has bedded Junmyeon. There has been more than one instance where Junmyeon had walked out of the bedroom in a bathrobe, his hair tousled and smelling of sex. Jongin only pretends not to realise.   
  
Taeyong oddly manages to get into the upper floors of the hotel as easily as Jongin does, to the topmost level where the presidential suites are located. Jongin quietly slips around a corner, watching keenly as Taeyong walks to the end of the corridor, rapping tentatively on the door and waiting in silence. Soon enough Victoria emerges from the other side, smirking at the sight of her underling.   
  
"What news have you brought me, this time?" She asks, leaning against the doorframe while a hand reaches up to cup Taeyong's cheek. She seems fond enough of the younger boy.   
  
"Junmyeon will be covering for Kris in his next drug deal." Taeyong tells her, his voice void of emotions. It probably takes great effort not to fall into Victoria's seduction, not when the slit of her  _cheongsam_  goes all the way up to the top of her thigh, revealing the lace details of her panties when she shifts her weight ever so slightly. Her dress has a dipping neckline too, offering not much of a coverage for her cleavage. Any straight man would have an inconvenient boner, at the way she's touching Taeyong.   
  
"And?" Victoria prompts, her smirk growing wider. "What else have you got?"   
  
"If you so wish to uncover them, they will be here, in this very hotel, in half an hour."  
  
It's all the details Jongin needs to be convinced that they're probably the ones blackmailing Kris. In his haste to leave and inform Kris, however, Jongin trips over the uneven steps, making him lose his balance. His hand slams hard against the wall when he tries to stabilise himself, but he knows he's been found when Victoria calls out sharply.   
  
"Who's there? Show yourself."   
  
Jongin's blood runs cold, because Victoria will definitely kill him if she recognises him to be one of Kris' men. Just as he's fretting over his next course of action, someone suddenly grabs hold of his shoulder and presses their lips against his, kissing Jongin fiercely. His eyes go wide when he realises it's Luhan, though he doesn't comment when he sees the light in Luhan's eyes that say,  _play along_.   
  
Only when they're out in the open does Luhan pull away from Jongin, grinning up at him shyly. He puts up a very convincing act of being surprised when Victoria snaps at them again, sporting a wide-eyed, innocent look that only he can pull off.   
  
"I'm sorry, we didn't think we were disturbing someone else." Luhan tells them meekly, his eyes flickering between Victoria and Jongin uncertainly. "I thought we wouldn't be caught. We're both guys, you see–"  
  
Victoria seems impatient when she raises a hand to stop Luhan from rambling further. "I don't need to know the details. Leave, before I stick a knife in your throat."  
  
They don't need to be told twice.  
  
  


✳

  
  
  
"You ought to be more careful, next time." Luhan says as he runs his fingers through Jongin's hair, nosing insistently at the curve of Jongin's neck. His words, though expressing concern, sound cold and emotionless to Jongin's ear. He's not given the opportunity to dwell upon it, though, not when Luhan's running another hand down Jongin's side to rest on his bare hips. The touch leaves a burning trail on his skin.  
  
"I will." Jongin promises, mouth parting slightly when Luhan's teeth catches a strip of his flesh. "Why were you there, anyway?"   
  
Luhan chuckles a little, before moving to wrap a possessive arm around Jongin's chest while the other hooks itself around his waist. "I couldn't bear to let you out of my sight. Thought you might get yourself into trouble. And I was right."  
  
Jongin's scoff turns into a quiet whine when Luhan pushes his half-hard cock between Jongin's legs, rubbing it against Jongin's throbbing one. Luhan's a great tease, he's learned, knowing that Jongin wants Luhan in him yet not giving in easily. The way Luhan's cupping his balls isn't making things any better for Jongin.  
  
"I'm not usually this careless." Jongin insists. He struggles a little against the binds tying his hands together behind him to no avail, and Luhan laughs again at his valiant efforts.   
  
"Really now." He challenges, fingers now tracing down the cleft of Jongin's ass. His digits are already slick with Jongin's spit, having demanded the younger man to suck on them in the most obscene of ways, before coating them further with the pearls of precum leaking out of Jongin's slit. Jongin fights back a moan from forming when Luhan slips a finger in without giving him a warning.   
  
"Real–  _oh, fuck_ –" Jongin tries again, only to have his argument cut off when Luhan adds another finger, slowly fucking him open. The pain and pleasure have melded into one entity, difficult to be taken apart no matter how hard Jongin tries, but he remains defiant. He's not going to give Luhan the satisfaction of seeing him break this easily.   
  
"Doesn't seem like it to me, Jongin." Luhan clicks his tongue, scissoring Jongin with two fingers before adding another one in quick succession. His words and his actions are so detached from each other, and Jongin wonders just how Luhan manages to do it.   
  
Jongin grits his teeth, trying not to let the pleasure get to his head. "I wanted to let Kris know about the information as soon as I could. I didn't think–"  
  
This time, his words are cut off when Luhan pulls out his fingers, leaving him so horribly empty, but before Jongin can whine in protest, Luhan has already filled Jongin with his cock, the stretch making his eyes tear up, pain almost too much to bear. It has been such a long while.   
  
"Haste makes waste, haven't you heard?" Luhan teases, though the way he's slamming his hips against Jongin contradicts greatly with his words. Jongin's nails are digging into the flesh of his own palms, and this time, he can no longer hold himself back from pleading Luhan to go faster. Luhan's driving him crazy, but he doesn't want Luhan to ever stop. "You could've lost your life. It's a dangerous game to play."  
  
"You were there–" Jongin wants to point out, but the heat pooling in the pit of his stomach is growing into an unbearable level, his body shuddering from want, and he can’t continue on the train of his thoughts.   
  
Still Luhan continues building up his pace, fucking into Jongin without losing his rhythm, his tone still managing to be conversational. "I won't be there all the time," he says, and when he fists Jongin's cock, it's all that's needed to send Jongin tumbling into his orgasm high.   
  
He strokes Jongin fondly, and with several more thrusts, Luhan comes with a quiet whine, too, pulling out of Jongin and covering his body with his cum. He's quick to pull Jongin into a kiss – tender and desperate at the same time, entirely different from all the other kisses he's given Jongin. Jongin wonders if it's another clever act, or if it truly reflects Luhan's inner state of mind. He doesn't pry, knowing that his relationship with Luhan is a fragile one, even if he greatly wants to know where they stand.  
  
"Why were you there?" Jongin asks again when he's finally down from his high, when Luhan gently unties his hands and massages away the red imprints on his skin. He's sure Luhan knows the implication behind his question, but he can't help feeling disappointed when Luhan freezes mid-movement and finally lets Jongin go, padding into the bathroom to clean himself without another word said.   
  
Jongin sits up on the bed and stares at the spot where Luhan had been moments ago, feeling a sort of hollowness rising within him. Luhan makes him so horribly confused.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
"Who's this?" Jongin asks, two days after his near-death by Victoria's hand, as he picks up a photo frame from one of the shelves in Luhan's study. It's the first time he's been allowed into the room, a show that Luhan trusts him just a little bit more now, and he regards everything with fascination. This particular photo catches his attention, for Luhan has his cheek pressed against another man's, smiling the most genuine smile Jongin has ever seen on his face. It seems like it's from a long way back.   
  
Luhan, who's in the midst of pulling out more information regarding Lee Taeyong and his background from his computer, pauses in the middle of his typing. "That's Yixing." Luhan tells him, and Jongin wonders if he's imagining the curtness and silent warning in Luhan's voice. It's almost as though Luhan's trying to tell him,  _leave that alone or else_.  
  
Jongin decides to screw it and try his luck regardless. "You seem awfully close to him. Who is he?"  
  
"He's my ex." Luhan says, this time more stiffly. "He's dead."  
  
That statement is all that's needed for Jongin to clam up instantly, but it doesn't stop him from wondering what had happened to this person called Yixing.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
“You’re taking too long to deal with the job I’ve entrusted to you.” Again the simmering anger can be heard from Kris’ voice as he stares at Jongin from the other side of his desk. Jongin’s beginning to find Kris’ office all too stifling, and he subconsciously pulls at the collar of his shirt to allow himself to breathe.   
  
“It’s not as easy as you think.” Jongin tells. He considers mentioning what he’s discovered about Victoria so far, when he isn’t even sure if Victoria’s  _really_  the one who’s been blackmailing Kris. It’s all but presumption on his part.   
  
Jongin decides against it in the end, when he thinks about the clash that would inevitably happen in the event that Kris blows up. He’s seen it once, and the massacre that had ensued is something which can’t be forgotten that easily.  
  
Kris’ eyes on him are hard as he continues to stare Jongin down. “I hope you haven’t grown complacent, thinking that I might give you an extension just because I haven’t been asking you about your progress.”   
  
Jongin squirms a little in his seat. He would never. “Leniency has never been a part of the way you deal with things.” He says honestly, because it’s true. Kris knows this himself.  
  
Seemingly satisfied with Jongin’s answer, Kris leans back in his seat. Jongin’s half-expecting for him to smirk at Jongin, but Kris doesn’t. Instead, lines of worry and urgency find their place on his face, indicating just how important the discovery of the person’s identity is to Kris. “One more week, Jongin. I need that person killed before my next deal.”   
  
The silence that ensues hangs heavy in the air, and Jongin wrings his fingers together beneath the table anxiously. The time he has left on his clock is down to a critical level.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
Victoria's conversation with Taeyong doesn't really stray far from Jongin's mind, even if he doesn't have substantial evidence that they're plotting something against Kris. To be fair, all Taeyong has done is to feed Victoria information about Kris' actions, and said nothing else about his relationship with Junmyeon. In fact, it seems that Victoria herself isn't quite sure that Kris and Junmyeon have something intimate going on at all.   
  
With his time running dangerously low, though, Jongin has no other choice but to confront Victoria with his suspicions. His meeting with her will go either way, and he may not walk out of it alive, he knows, but it's a risk he has to take.   
  
Jongin does this with an anonymous phone call asking for Victoria to meet him at one of the lesser known cafés in town, which she thankfully accepts. He makes no effort in concealing his face this time, only smirking confidently up at Victoria when she arrives at his table. She doesn't seem too surprised to see him, though.   
  
"I should have known you were planning something when you were at the presidential suite floor the other day," she points out impassively, fingers dragging lazily across the hilt of her silver dagger as she sips on a mug of Long Black.   
  
"You could've killed me, but you didn't." Jongin states; it's neither a question nor a challenge, only a mere curious observation on Jongin's part. He remembers Victoria in a defensive stance when he'd appeared in the hallway with Luhan, the lines of her body never really relaxing until they're finally out of sight. Her eyes had been predatory back then, just as they are now.   
  
"Didn't want to get my hands dirty." Victoria says with a shrug. "Besides, I know who you are. You work for Kris."  
  
While Jongin is alarmed that she knows of that fact, he tries to school his expressions into one of nonchalance. "Even more reason why you should have committed the deed. I thought you and Kris didn't see eye to eye."  
  
The corner of Victoria's lips curls into annoyance, the first semblance of emotion Jongin has seen on her today. "We don't. But I'm not one to destroy someone else's fun." She tells him, and there's a knowing light dancing in her eyes that makes him feel uncomfortable. It’s almost as though she knows what’s going on between him and Luhan   
  
“I don’t get what you’re trying to put across.” Jongin says flatly in an attempt to change the course of their conversation. His relationship with Luhan is something he’d rather not discuss with someone who barely even knows him, let alone when the woman seated across him is someone he intends to kill. The weight of the gun stuck down the waistband of his jeans is so incredibly heavy.   
  
Thankfully, Victoria is a smart woman who knows when to stop. She slides forward in her seat, her smirk growing just a little wider. “I’m a busy person, Kai, and I’m sure you didn’t ask me out just to discuss about your little relationship with another man. So why don’t you get straight to the point?”   
  
The expression on Jongin’s face mirrors hers as he leans against the back of his chair. “Glad we’re on the same channel. Now tell me, were you the one who has been blackmailing Kris?”   
  
Victoria appears bewildered for a long moment, before she bursts out laughing, earning the attention of everyone else in the shop with them. It’s a while before she actually calms down, though her body’s still shaking with mirth when she speaks up next. “Do you really think I have to resort to such things?”   
  
Jongin shrugs. “You might’ve been desperate, who knows.”   
  
He soon learns that it’s the wrong thing to say when Victoria’s expression changes with a snap, turning into something that reminds Jongin of an impending thunderstorm. His heart leaps into his throat from surprise when she pulls out her dagger and sticks it into the table, right between the small gap between his index and middle finger. It’s meant to be a stern warning for him to watch his mouth, Jongin knows, but he stops himself short of appearing shaken.   
  
Even if you feel intimidated, you need to pretend that you’re not. That’s the second most important rule in the underworld, where everyone runs on false bravado most of the time.   
  
“Watch what you say, Kai. I can’t promise I’ll miss the next time.” Victoria hisses in a low voice, her hand never leaving the hilt of her dagger. Jongin’s hyperaware of the fear filling the air, and the way the waitresses of the café are watching them cautiously, hands poised over the phone to make a call to the police department at the slightest hint that a fight might break out.   
  
Jongin wants to scoff. Their efforts are going to prove fruitless, when the head of the police force is fraternising with people of Jongin’s kind.   
  
“I’m sure you were pissed when he left.” Jongin presses on regardless, hand moving to push his shirt aside, just enough to give Victoria a glimpse of his own weapon. “So what’s to say you wouldn’t do such things?”   
  
Victoria’s eyes narrow further, but she makes no move to slice Jongin’s fingers clean off his knuckles. “I may be angry, but I am not a  _coward_ –” She spits the last word out in disgust. “–and I have no need to resort to blackmail for the sake of revenge. Do you really think I am incapable enough to bring Kris down in a head-on clash?”   
  
Jongin doesn’t answer. He only smirks in response, knowing it will rile Victoria up further.   
  
There’s a flash of red hot anger that crosses Victoria’s expressions at Jongin’s intentional silence, but it passes as soon as it appears. She takes in a deep breath and pulls out her dagger in one swift motion, sticking it back into its holster, before stepping away from the table, clearly demonstrating that she’s not interested in having any more of this conversation.  
  
“Watch your neck, Kai.” Victoria warns in a low voice as she passes Jongin by. “I can’t promise I won’t send my people after it.”   
  
What Jongin doesn’t mention, though, as he watches Victoria disappear out of the store, the tail of her black, halter-necked  _cheongsam_  fluttering in the wind after her, is the probability that he might lose his life before she can even send someone to chase him down. It probably wouldn’t even matter, who ends up killing him. He’s as good as dead, anyway.   
  
After spending most of his time chasing after Victoria and Lee Taeyong, he’s back at zero. One week left to the deadline imposed by Kris, and Jongin finds the despair rushing up to drag him down to the deepest pits of hell.  
  
Jongin quite literally feels like the walking dead.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
There had been a time when Jongin had felt incredibly hopeless, when he had thought that life wasn't worth living – when he'd been on the verge of dying from hunger and the cold. He didn't expect to relive that feeling so many years down the road, when his life was supposed to have taken a better turn after Kris had picked him up from the streets.  
  
Yet here he is, feeling pathetically lost as he wanders down the streets of Seoul, wondering what he's supposed to do next. With such limited time left to uncover the identity of the person who's been blackmailing Kris, and the knowledge that all his leads point to naught, Jongin doesn't know where to start again. He had been so convinced that Victoria's the one who's been sending Taeyong after Kris, to snap incriminating photos of him sexing Junmyeon up, but when it's revealed that she has nothing to do with it, the hope to live seeps out of Jongin's being like rapidly-flowing water.   
  
He truly understands now, how it feels to finally have something within his reach, only to helplessly watch it slip through the crevices of his fingers like fine grains of sand.   
  
Jongin wants to laugh when he finally comes to a stop before a set of gates, only to realise that his feet have brought him back to where he had first started. It's funny, how in the short span of a couple of weeks, Luhan has become a permanent fixture in Jongin's life, a compass to guide his way. Irony is the only thing that floods his mind when he mulls over his situation. Luhan's information is precisely what's making him feel completely lost, yet he once again finds himself here at Luhan's doorstep, with the desire to find a new way out again with Luhan's help.   
  
With a sigh, Jongin stuffs his hands in his pockets, head hung low as he walks towards the only saviour he knows of. He can only hope that Luhan will be able to get him out of this mess.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
Sore and aching all over.   
  
It's the first thing that comes to mind when Jongin stirs from his sleep, but he smiles and nestles his face against the soft pillows. The dull ache in his muscles is a nice type of ache, one that comes after an excellent fuck, and Jongin kind of wishes he can experience it all over again.   
  
Having sex wasn't exactly a part of Jongin's agenda when he'd pressed on the bell to Luhan's apartment. He had honestly wanted to seek Luhan out for help, because he's as desperate as he can be to save his own life, but one thing followed after the other, and soon he was already falling head first into a strong wave of lust and passion. It might have something to do with Luhan's gentle but insistent kisses, or Luhan's soft voice telling him that everything will be alright. Jongin honestly can't remember anything else apart from the way Luhan had sex with – made love to? – him. There's something significantly different about their sexual intercourse this time, but Jongin can't quite put a finger to it.  
  
At the very least, it made Jongin forget about the imminent threat to his life – until now, that is.   
  
He stretches in bed and stifles a yawn, shuddering a little when the cold autumn air hits his skin, then blinks to get the sleep out of his eyes. It's not after a while that he hears the shower running, telling him that Luhan's already in the process of cleaning himself up. Jongin wonders if he can coax Luhan into letting Jongin fuck him when he comes out. He's in the mood to pretend that his life is all rainbows right now, and Luhan is precisely what he needs to forget about things.   
  
It's then that Jongin does a double take at the DSLR camera perched on top of Luhan's dresser, and his curiosity is piqued. In all the times he’s gotten to know Luhan, he has never heard of Luhan speak of his love for photography, or the fact that he’s good with a professional camera. Ignoring the way his muscles are aching, Jongin slowly climbs off the bed and pads across the room.  
  
There’s a part of him that hesitates as he holds the camera carefully in his hands, because he  _knows_  this is going to be a serious breach in trust. Considering Luhan’s line of work, there’s really no saying what Jongin will find stashed away in the memory card of Luhan’s DSLR. But curiosity drives him forward, and Jongin switches the camera on.   
  
He’s greeted by a succession of shots of Victoria leaning incredibly close to speak in Taeyong’s ear, and the way their lips brush for the briefest of moments when she pulls away, and Jongin’s instantly convinced that Luhan gets all the information he has with his own hands. Shots likes these would instantly kick up a huge scandal in the underworld, especially when he finds others which caught Victoria’s hand going up Krystal’s skirt beneath the table.   
  
The darker side of Seoul is a huge but calm mess, everyone knows that. Jongin only wonders what it’ll take to turn that _faux_  calmness into calamity.   
  
His heart stops beating for a long moment, however, when he arrives at the middle portion of Luhan’s stash of photos. He blinks at the photo which stares up at him for a long time, unable to bring himself to believe what he’s seeing. The more he scrolls through the next couple of shots, though, the more Jongin finds his hands trembling uncontrollably.   
  
He feels utterly sick when he arrives at a particular shot that’s all too familiar to him, one that became the catalyst to all the mad chasing he’s been doing in the past month. Jongin isn’t allowed to dwell on it for long, though, when the lock to the bathroom door clicks, making him jump, but he knows by instinct what he should be doing next.  
  
Jongin instantly collects his emotions, and bends down to grab hold of his gun which had been discarded along with the rest of his clothes earlier. Maybe he’s not completely hopeless at trying to save his life, after all.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
For all that they’ve been through together, Jongin had expected Luhan to appear more shocked when he steps out of the shower to find a gun trained at him.  
  
Luhan doesn’t. In fact, there’s mirth dancing in his bright eyes as his lips curl into an unmistakable smirk, and he proceeds to dry his hair like it’s a normal occurrence in his life, like he isn’t in imminent danger of being shot to death.   
  
Jongin knows he shouldn’t let it get to him, but it does, and he snaps. “It was you all along.”   
  
The smile on Luhan’s face doesn’t wane as he pauses to look at Jongin. “What are you talking about?” He asks airily. Jongin doesn’t get why Luhan isn’t affected by all this, but he remembers the way Luhan had cried emotionlessly and stops himself from wondering further. It’s growing to an almost painfully noticeable level, that Luhan has been through _enough_ , that his emotions have been thoroughly screwed over.   
  
Jongin’s grip tightens around his gun, and he cocks the hammer, trying to will his hand not to shake. “The person who’s been blackmailing Kris, threatening to expose his relationship with Junmyeon. It’s you.”  
  
There’s a flash of recognition that crosses Luhan’s expressions, but it’s still serene when it passes. “Ah, I got busted.” Luhan shrugs nonchalantly. “Guess I should’ve seen this coming.”   
  
“Why?” Jongin growls at Luhan, already losing control over his frustration. He can’t understand why Luhan is being so unaffected. “Why did you give me false leads, when you know how much my life depended on this?”   
  
Luhan considers for a brief moment, before he begins walking towards Jongin in slow but sure steps, until the barrel of Jongin’s gun is pressed against his chest. Still, he’s smiling. “Do you remember when you asked me about Yixing? How I told you he was dead?”   
  
Of course Jongin does. He remembers even the first semblance of true emotions he saw in Luhan’s eyes back then, ones that spoke of hatred and resentment towards the unknown.   
  
“He was killed.” Luhan proceeds to say, when Jongin remains silent. “Yixing was someone who lived to perform, even if I was against him doing his solo gigs in shady bars. He was always so optimistic, telling me nothing bad would happen to him. It was years and years of him doing that before I finally gave in, but when I did, I lost him for good.”  
  
Jongin probably wouldn’t be so disturbed by Luhan’s words, had he said it with more emotions. But to Jongin, Luhan sounds a lot like he’s reciting a paragraph from a novel, monotonous and unblinking. It’s almost like he’s learned to detach himself completely from his feelings, and the thought sends a shiver down Jongin’s spine.   
  
It’s then that Luhan holds Jongin’s gaze with a ferocity so intense that it nearly knocks the wind out of Jongin. “Yixing had been performing at one of the bars owned by EXO when he died. There had been a drug deal which went awfully wrong, one which escalated into a gunfight. I was there to witness it.” Luhan swallows hard, the memory seemingly too much for him to deal with. “The bullet came from Kris’ gun.”   
  
“It was an accident.” Jongin says quietly, not trusting himself to speak any louder. His head is a mess as he debates with himself; he knows that he needs to kill Luhan, because he’s the one Jongin has been searching for all this while, but he can’t. Not when emotions have been embroiled in it all, and Jongin has grown to like Luhan a little too much. Behind the mask of innocence lies a person so broken, Jongin can’t bear to leave him alone without attempting to patch him up.   
  
“It doesn’t matter.” Luhan retorts, even when the scale of his words do not reflect on his face. It’s a chillingly blank canvas. “ _Kris_  took away the person who meant the most to me, and I promised Yixing that I’ll ruin Kris’ life in return.”   
  
“And that gives you the right to fuck me over?” Jongin asks, feeling the anger rise within him, even if he knows it’s a vicious world out there. Everyone fights for their own survival – including Jongin. It doesn’t matter if they sacrificed someone else in the process; it’s just the way the world works.   
  
Jongin knows that fact very well, because he’s guilty of that too, but a part of him wished that this was all but a cruel dream. He had hoped Luhan saw him as more than a tool to do his bidding, even if he knows that the higher you get your hopes up, the harder you fall.   
  
“Doesn’t really matter anymore.” Luhan lets out a soft laugh. He then guides Jongin’s gun to his temple, and walks close enough so that their lips are brushing against each other when they speak. “I’ve sent those photos to the press, and in twelve hours’ time, both their lives will be ruined. So go ahead and shoot.” He challenges.   
  
For a moment, the resentment boils over within Jongin, and he contemplates on pulling the trigger. But he finds that his fingers are frozen, that he can’t shoot, not when a large part of him wants to protect the man before him, and he hates himself for it.   
  
Luhan seems to be able to read his thoughts, because he smirks against Jongin’s lips and runs a daring finger down the expanse of Jongin’s exposed skin. “Do you remember what I said when we first had sex? Worship me. Serve me. It’s all you need.” He says, before dragging his lips against Jongin’s jaw, lingering just a little longer at his ear to whisper, “You’re bound to me, Jongin. You can’t run. Give it up. Come with me.”   
  
It takes all of Jongin’s strength to muster two words, and even then it comes out breathless. “Fuck off.”   
  
Instead of being riled up by his words, though, Luhan only laughs and walks towards his closet, pulling on some clothes with such casual nonchalance that it makes Jongin wonder if he’s truly afraid of dying. “If you stay here, you’re a dead man anyway. Do you value your dignity that much, or do you value your life more? The choice is yours, Kim Jongin.”   
  
Jongin doesn’t have to think twice. He raises his gun once again, and pulls the trigger.   
  
  


✳

  
  
  
There’s something surreal about watching the news from a foreign country, seeing as his own gang falls apart on the TV screen. The words coming from the newscaster is unmistakably Chinese, but Jongin has his mind tuned on the stills being shown on screen instead, of blurred out photos of Kris and Junmyeon’s sexual escapades. They must be talking about the corruption that goes on in Seoul, of the drugs and illegal arms worth millions which were all traded under the radar, because of Junmyeon’s relationship with Kris.  
  
Even now, Jongin feels like a traitor for leaving when EXO is facing its downfall, but he can’t find it in himself to feel completely guilty about it. He’s only thankful that he’s alive and breathing, one day after his life was supposed to have been ended by his boss.   
  
The screen fades to black the moment the news segment exposing Kris and Junmyeon’s scandal ends, and Jongin’s mouth falls apart in a silent gasp when he gets filled completely, a hand squeezing his ass to get his attention. In retaliation, Jongin bends forward and catches a strip of sweaty skin between his teeth, biting down hard.   
  
His actions are met with a breathless laugh. “You’re never going to get out of your habit of leaving marks, are you?”   
  
Jongin laughs back. “Not until the day you stop making me feel so good.” He says, stuttered moans leaving his lips as he fucks himself down on Luhan’s cock.   
  
Luhan is still beautiful like this when he’s lying beneath Jongin, face contorted in exquisite pleasure, like he’s truly enjoying their lovemaking session as his hips rock upwards continuously to meet Jongin’s. He’s loosened up significantly after leaving Seoul with Jongin, a lot more forthcoming and a lot less secretive about his life, as though a large weight has been lifted off his shoulders the moment they had boarded the plane together.   
  
In retrospect, Jongin probably would have regretted it if he had killed Luhan back in his apartment, when he found out that Luhan had betrayed him and used him in his scheme for revenge, instead of shooting at the wall to vent his frustrations. By now, he’s already come to terms that he likes Luhan a lot more than he cares to admit, that his feelings aren’t driven by lust or infatuation. It’s funny, how Luhan has managed to become an integral part of Jongin’s life almost effortlessly, but Jongin isn’t complaining. Even if Jongin’s still somewhat angry that Luhan has played him for a fool, he thinks he’ll get over this someday. Somehow.   
  
“I’m never going to stop,” Luhan tells him as his fingers wrap around Jongin’s cock, fisting him the way Jongin likes it. “Not until the day I die.”   
  
It’s probably too early to make such promises, Jongin knows, because people are bound to fall apart with even the slightest of warnings, but he’s willing to hold Luhan to that promise until that day comes for them. There’s no way he’s going to let Luhan go, now that they’ve managed to escape the filthy lives they’ve been living, and are just starting to carve a brand new one for themselves.   
  
Jongin grins as he leans forward to catch Luhan’s lips with his, rocking his hips against Luhan’s in a way that he knows will earn a moan from Luhan. This is only the beginning.


End file.
